I am a Christian who has spent the last
twelve years working as a missionary in the war zones of Southern Africa. I
have ministered to soldiers, guerillas and terrorists on all sides of the wars
in Angola, South West Africa/Nambia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South
Africa. I have witnessed the persecution of the church by Marxist regimes, atrocities
by terrorists and I have see the results of war, counselling both the victims
and the combatants.

As a theological student, I tackled the controversial
subject of war and the Christian - from both sides. I have
been both a convinced pacifist and an active soldier. I have also sought, as
a missionary, to apply the teachings of the Bible to the realities around me.
I have walked amongst the unburied corpses of the killing fields of Mozambique
and I've cradled in my hands the dead and dying. I've walked through devastated
towns in Angola, where not a living being remained - only wrecked houses, decomposing
corpses and revolutionary slogans. As a missionary, I've ridden through an ambush
on my motorbike scrambler, preached under mortal fire, witnessed at ambush sites,
shown Christian films to terrorists, been arrested and imprisoned, been led
handcuffed and blindfolded through the streets of Livingstone and Lusaka, escorted
to prison in Maputo in a Soviet Mi 8 Hip helicopter and come under fire on many
occasions.

Most of all, as a Bible reading,
Bible-believing Christian I have spent days, nights, weeks,
months and years agonizing, praying and studying over this subject of War and
the Christian.

What is the Christian response to war? Should a
Christian be involved in the active military defense of his country?Is it ever
permissible to take the life of another?Is pacifism the answer to violence?

The changing face of warfare

There was a time in warfare when the men at arms
fought the opposing army on a pre-arranged battlefield. Conflicts between nations
were settled by soldiers on the field of battle - and civilians, especially
women and children, were kept out of the firing line.

For centuries a code of honor precluded the endangering
of innocent lives. Soldiers fought openly - in uniform - against armed and uniformed
foes. Non-combatants were respected. Women and children were protected. At times
conflicts were limited to two opposing champions - such as David and Goliath
- deciding the fate of their nations in honourable hand to hand combat.
Their respective armies were bound to respect the outcome of such duels. In
the Middle Ages in Europe such practices became commonplace with knights fighting
for their cause and country according to a set code of conduct.

In modern times, however, warfare has deteriorated
dramatically. More and more civilians have been caught in the crossfire as mobile
total warfare has devastated whole towns and villages.

This century began with scorched earth tactics
and concentration camps during the Anglo-Boer war. The frustrated British army
resorted to burning down the Boer farm homes, the destruction of their crops
and the detaining of the Boer women and children in concentration camps. This
marked a new low in battlefield standards. Unable to win by conventional warfare
the British Empire resorted to what was in effect terrorism. They targeted the
civilian homes and the women and children who, until then, had been respected
and protected.

During the Second World War, whole cities were
targeted for mass bombings. A thousand bomber aircraft would fill the skies
and rain death and destruction upon the cities of Europe. Instead of targeting
legitimate military targets at he front, these aircraft were used to massacre
hundreds of thousands of women and children at home.

Since that terrible war, the face of battle has
changed. Now civilians are no longer isolated from the cruel effects of war.
No longer are civilians merely endangered by the crossfire of conflict. Now
women and children seem to be the main targets of the enemy.

Those who place land mines in dirt roads know that
they have more chance of killing unarmed civilians than anyone else. By placing
bombs in restaurants and shopping centres terrorists are targeting our wives
and our children. Those cowards who throw petrol bombs or hand grenades into
homes at night are wanting to murder the innocent. And now we even see terrorists
bursting into church services and murdering Christians while they worship God.
Such people are not only enemies of society, they are enemies of God.

To such people God's Word declares:'Surely God
will crush the heads of His enemies, the skulls of those who go in their sins.'
(Psalm 68:21)

To us the Bible commands: 'Do not be afraid...
remember the Lord who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your
sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.' (Nehemiah 4:14)

The pacifist position

Pacifists claim that non-resistance and passive
inactivity will break the cycle of violence. They say that to defend oneself
will prevent war and that non-violence will result in peace. However, it is
important to distinguish between the various motivations which lead people to
adopt these views. Some pacifists are CONSISTENT PACIFISTS, claiming they would
never involve themselves in either national defence or self defence. They would
generally claim a spiritual motivation for refusing to protect even family members.
Most are pacifists are actually SELECTIVE PACIFISTS, refusing to involve themselves
in the national defence of (normally) Western democracies, but being willing
to fight in certain other circumstances. These selective pacifists are often
politically motivated, although they may use some religious arguments to justify
their political stance. Many of these politically motivated, selective pacifists
actually support violent revolutionary movements. Most are motivated by selfish
desires to avoid discomfort, discipline, danger or being separated from their
girlfriend, mother or home comforts.

Pacifism is an non biblical position. Although
being able to appeal to superficial arguments of conscience and quote the odd
verse out of content - the whole spirit and thrust of pacifism is anti Christian.
Pacifists may be sincere - but they are sincerely wrong.

A Christian, by definition, must be active - with
his or her sleeves rolled up, being willing to get his hands dirty protecting
the innocent, defending the defenceless and saving lives from unprovoked aggression.
Christian love is not mere words and sentiments. True love shows itself in action.
(1 John 3:18). If all the people with a conscience refuse to fight then it will
leave the battle fields in the hands of men without a conscience.

A false idea of man

Pacifism finds it's rots in HUMANISM. Despite some
impressive but superficial Christian pretension, pacifism is humanism. In common
with humanism, pacifism shares a false idea of man. It sees man as basically
good. To the pacifist all people are just too good to kill. Neither rapists,
murderers nor terrorists deserve to be stopped, in the view of the pacifist.

In contrast to this notion of people being basically
good, the Bible teaches us that 'the heart of man is desperately wicked and
deceitful';that they are quick to hurt and kill;they leave ruin and destruction
wherever they go... everyone has sinned and is far away from God's saving presence.'
(Romans 3:15,23) Pacifists often display more concern for the aggressor then
for the defender, more sympathy for the criminal then for his victim.

A false idea of God

Pacifism also has a false idea of God. It fails
to understand the holiness and justice of God. It ignores the wrath of Almighty
God against sin. The pacifist seems to fail to understand the nature of God.
They must see God as a pleasant, amoral softie - either to blind to see sinful
man for what he is or too gentle to punish evil. What kind of God would be unmoved
by ruthless sadists torturing Christians in concentration camps? Do we really
think that God will not punish those who kill and cripple the innocent through
car bombs, limpet mines and land mines?

Do we really believe that God does not require
us to stop murder - whether by abortion
or arson, whether by muggers or Marxists.

God is not a pacifist!

The creator of all life (John 1:1-3) 'determines
whether you live or die' - Daniel 5:23.

God killed everyone on earth, except Noah, his
family and the animals - in THE FLOOD (Genesis 6:5-7;13;7:4;23).

God killed every Egyptian first-born as a judgement
on Egypt and in order to free the Israelites on the night of THE PASSOVER (Exodus
12:12;29).

God destroyed the Egyptian army in the RED SEA
(Exodus 14:13-31; 15:1-18).

The Lord caused the earth to open up and swallow
the Jews who rebelled against Moses (Numbers 16:20,21;23-35).

God killed Annias and Sapphira because of their
lying (Acts 5-1-11); and Herod because of his pride (Acts 12:23), and God continues
to use 'My four dreadful judgments - sword and <starvation> and wild beasts
and plague' (Ezekiel 14:21), in order to lead sinful people to repent.

'I and I alone, am God; no other God s real. I
kill and I give life, I wound and I heal, and no one can oppose what do.' (Deuteronomy
32:39)

Neither is Jesus a pacifist

Our Lord Jesus may have been meek but He was never
mild! His teaching was powerful, dynamic, direct and uncompromising. This tough
carpenter from Nazareth was able to survive forty days fasting in the desert
and forty lashes from the brutal Roman whip. He could walk hundreds of kilometers
in the blazing heat of Palestine's inhospitable terrain and He could walk through
a murderous mob with such a presence that no-one dared stop Him (Luke 4:28-30).

When Jesus saw how corrupt men were desecrating
the temple with their money-grabbing greed, He made a whip, overturned their
tables and drove them forcibly from God's House (Matthew 21:12-13).

When Jesus returns to this world it will be as
the conquering King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The Bible teaches us that the
first time Jesus came as a Saviour - and all who turn from their sin and trust
in Christ, following Him in obedience, are saved. But when Jesus comes again
it will be as Judge - and all who have not repented and obeyed will be condemned
and eternally punished. The Scripture warns us that when Jesus returns He will
annihilate the forces of the false church and the Antichrist.
We are told that rivers of blood will flow from the carnage of mankind's rebellion
against Christ (Revelation 14:19-20).

'With justice He... makes war... He will rule them
with an iron sceptre. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God
Almighty... King of Kings and Lord of Lords.' (Revelation 19:11,15,16).

An unrealistic view of society

Pacifism also has an unrealistic view of society.
The reality of this world is that it is a fallen world, inhabited by sinful
mankind in rebellion against the Creator. Idealistic fantasies about a world
of peace and Utopia without war are cruelly false and dangerously deceptive.
In the Bible we are warned that those who say 'Peace! Peace!' when there is
no peace are 'loathsome' false prophets (Jeremiah 6:!4; 8:11). Jesus warned
us that 'wars and revolutions' would increase (Matthew 24:6,7; Luke 21:9,10).
We are warned in the scriptures that 'While people are saying 'Peace and Safety',
destruction will come on them suddenly.' (I Thessalonians 5:3)

'PEACE' seems to be the modern equivalent of Baal
worship. There is an irrational deifying of peace. This selfish materialistic
age has made an idol out of peace. 'Peace at any price' inevitably leads to
tyranny and destruction - the peace of a graveyard.

People say that war is hell - but often peace is
worse. More people died in the peace following the revolution in CAMBODIA than
died in the entire war before it. Three-milion Cambodians (40% of the population)
were slaughtered by Pol Pot's Marxist Khmer Rouge in the 'peace' following 1975.
In fact, more people have been tortured, maimed and massacred in times of peace
than in times of war during this century!

Have we become so soft, decadent and self-seeking
that we are no longer willing to risk our lives for anything? Is nothing worth
fighting for? Do we have nothing worth defending? Do we care so little for others
that we're unwilling to risk anything for their protection? Are we so engrossed
in watching videos, in 'wine, women and song' that we can no longer tell the
difference between right and wrong? Or don't we even care?

For centuries Christians have believed that there
were worse things than war. For our ancestors death in battle was not the worst
thing that could happen to them. An eternity in hell was. They did not fear
death. They feared God. They realised that death for the Christian is not fatal.
They had a clear belief in eternal life. Principles were more important then
personal safety. Duty, honor, country, family and God meant more to them than
selfish desires for peace and safety. And thank God for that because the faith
and freedoms we enjoy were won and preserved by their blood, sweat and sacrifices.

The wise Christian does not seek to selfishly avoid
the problems of this world, but courageously steps out in faith to be part of
the solution. We should recognize that sinful man needs to be restrained by
laws and by force, that liberty needs to be defended, that our freedoms came
through, and often need to be maintained by hard fighting.

If all Christians became pacifists,would all muslims,
atheists and communists also become pacifists?

Not likely.

It bothers me that the anti-defense, ban-the-bomb,
end-conscription draft-dodgers and pacifists often demonstrate in London, Washington,
Bonn and Cape Town - but seemingly never in Moscow, Havana, Tripoli, Tehran,
Maputo, Lasaka, Harare, or Luanda.

Why?

It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions
in favor of vegetarianism - while the wolf remains of a different opinion. The
Bible declares: 'Blessed are the peacemakers' - Matthew 5:9. NOT blessed are
the pacifists! You have to make peace. It takes action. For the pacifists hoping
for worldwide peace - Jesus said: 'Do not suppose that I have come to bring
peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.' (Matthew 10:44)

An inadequate understanding on Scripture

Pacifists also often have an inadequate understanding
on the Bible. Are they aware that God is not a pacifist? Do they realise that
God has specified certain circumstances in which men have been commanded to
kill?

Virtual Vendée's Editorial Note

Above text is distributed by Frontline Fellowship,
P.O.Box 74, Newlands 7725, South Africa. The author is a protestant, what influenced
the text and caused that some thesis are not acceptable for a catholic. Nevertheless,
it's very valuable.